Budget Debates Should Focus on Substance

Mitt Romney’s selection of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan as his running mate put a spotlight on differences between the two parties over federal budget priorities and how best to put the budget on a more responsible and sustainable course.

Since Romney announced his choice on Saturday, Republicans have cheered Ryan’s willingness to put forth bold budget proposals while Democrats contend those proposals will create vulnerabilities for the GOP.

The Concord Coalition encourages both parties to pursue serious and substantial debate this year over the difficult fiscal and economic challenges facing the country – the kind of debate that can help the American public understand the magnitude of those challenges and the importance of dealing with them in a timely fashion.

Candidates in both parties should resist the temptations to offer simplistic solutions, make unrealistic promises and pander to their audiences by suggesting that someone else can make all the necessary sacrifices.

Ideally, both the Republican and Democratic tickets should provide the public with credible and specific proposals to deal both with our short-term economic problems and the longer-term threat of runaway federal debt – and voters should weigh those proposals carefully.